Music-sheet cabinet



(No Model!) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. NEWBERRY. MUSIC SHEET CABINET.

No. 429,769. Patented June 10, 1890.

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(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. NEWBERRY. MUSIC SHEET GABINET 429,769- Patented June 10, 1890..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. NEWVBERRY,-OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO E. A. HAYES AND .I. O. HAYES, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

MU SlC-SHEET CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,769, dated June 10, 1890.

Application filed July 19, 1889 Serial No. 317,987. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NEWBERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Music-Sheet Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a cabinet of drawers designed especially to hold sheet-music; and it consists of certain improvements on my patent for a record-drawer, No. 394,500, dated December 11, 1888. In that patent a drawer is described and claimed provided with front and rear end pieces, a rigid bottom, and front and rear sides, the front side parts connected to the rear sides by a hinge, and disconnected from the bottom, whereby the front part of the drawer may be dropped below said bottom while the latter remains level and stationary. My present improvements being connected with that device, the same to the above-described extent is herein shown.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View, showing the exterior of a music-sheet cabinet, by which name I prefer to designate my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective view of a drawer partly detached from the cabinet, showing my improvements; Fig. 3, a side view of the drawer with one of its sides removed; Fig. 4, a detail; Fig. 5, a plan of the drawer-supporting frame; Fig. 6, a bottom plan view of the drawer, and Fig. 7 a detail.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cabinet or case containing my improvements. The drawers in the case are designated by B. They are sliding drawers, each composed of a bottom 13, front and rear end pieces C D, and the side pieces E E F F.

As described in the patent already mentioned, the bottom B is disconnected from the front piece C and the front side piecesE E, and rigidly secured to the rear end piece D and the rear side pieces F F. The front side pieces E E are longer than the rear side pieces F F and are connected to the latter by means of ahinge-joint G. At their point of juncure the side pieces are cut at a corresponding bevel above the hinge, but below the hinge the rear side pieces F have a vertical out 19, while the bevel continues on the front side pieces, whereby when the two parts of the drawer are brought together on the same horizontal line they form a close joint, but when the drawer is drawn out the front part is permitted to drop, as shown in the drawings, and the downward movement of the front part of the drawer limited by its contact with said vertical portions of therear part. The front portion of the drawer being disconnected from the bottom, as before explained, it can be dropped below the bottom when the drawer is out, so as to leave the bottom exposed and open, to facilitate ready access to the contents of the drawer. It is not desirable that the drawer should be drawn out beyond the joint only sufficiently far to permit the easy dropping of the front part. When the front portion isthus dropped below the rigid bottom, the bottom 7 5 will remain level and stationary. To limit such movement I employ stops S, which are connected to the rear side pieces of the drawer and come in contact with the posts S of the desk when the drawer is pulled out, or a leather strap might be secured to the rear end of the drawer and the back of the desk, of proper length to limit the movement, or other equivalent stop might be employed. In order to also facilitate the dropping down of the front part of the drawer at the joint when the drawer is out, the top edges of the front parts E are made somewhat lower than the adjacent edges of the rear portions F by being beveled inward, as shown at M.

H is a rack composed of metallic side plates h and rods 1'. The rack is secured to the inside of the front side piece E by screwing the side plates h thereto near the ends of E, and near where the latter is hinged to the rear 5 piece F. The rear ends of plates h extend a little ways beyond the joint, as shown, and to these ends are secured rods 1, which reach across the drawer.

M are leaves made of stiff pasteboard, or 100 other suitable material, with which each drawer is provided, (four in each drawer are shown, but a greater or less u umber may be used) and they are hinged to the back of the drawer by cords F, or other forms of hinges may be employed. These boards are of different lengths, extend forward to the front of the drawer, and are separated and supported by the rods 2?. These leaves vary in length from bottom to top of drawer, the longest being at the bottom, so that their margins extend beyond each other. On these margins are printed or stamped letters or other characters, in alphabetical or other order, to indicate the contents in the separate compartments thus formed by the sheets. The hinging of the leaves separately at the back of the drawer and the allowance of considerable space between the rods 2 permit each leaf below the top one to be lifted or tilted to facilitate the insertion and removal of the contents. They are thus also spread apart by lowering the front E below the bottom and brought together by raising it.

Sheets of music or other similar matters, classified alphabetically or in alphabetical divisions, if desired, are placed between the leaves, and their ready insertion in place or withdrawal is made completely convenient without rumpling, tearing, folding, or otherwise disarranging or injuring them by the arrangement and operation of the parts, as above described.

Beneath each drawer the cabinet is pro* Vided with a supporting frame and partition R, composed of end and side pieces and two cross-pieces 8, said cross-pieces having their upper faces flush with the upper faces of the front and rear pieces of the supporting-frame, and on the upper face of each cross-piece is a tongue t.

The bottom D of each drawer is provided with two grooved stripsV V,which engage wit-l1 the tongues t on the cross-pieces 3.

By this arrangement the drawers are easily slid in and out without danger of cramping, and the strength of the bottom of the drawer is not impaired, as would be the case were the grooves cut in the bottom of the drawer, which latter would necessitate a bottom of some considerable thickness. By using grooved strips a very light bottom can be employed, which, in a cabinet containing many drawers, presents a very decided advantage in point of weight.

Each drawer may be provided on the outside, as shown in Fig. 1, with a handle and a plate, with letters or other characters on the plate to denote the contents of the drawer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A drawer provided with front and rear end pieces, a rigid bottom, and front and rear sides hinged together, the front sides and end being disconnected from the bottom, so as to permit the front part of the drawer to be dropped below the bottom, in combination with a rack secured to said front part provided with rods, and leaves hinged to the back of the drawer and separated by said rods to form compartments, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a drawer, the leaves hinged to the back of the drawer, and a rack secured within the drawer and to the sides thereof, and provided with rods running between said leaves from side to side of the drawer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my siguatu re in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. NEWBERRY.

lVitnesses:

ABNER SMITH, M. W. JAooBs. 

